Malaysian Companies Prepare
For Sharper Slowdown in U.S.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Semiconductor-packaging manufacturer AKN Technology Bhd. is battening down the hatches against the American contagion.

After watching its revenue skid 15% in the first quarter this year from last year's fourth quarter, AKN -- whose customers include National Semiconductor Corp. and Agilent Technologies Inc. -- has frozen hiring, canceled some production shifts and put this year's 17-million-ringgit ($4.5 million) capital-expenditure plan on indefinite hold. "We're bracing ourselves for a...